FSU gets ACC to help it drop Wofford, move Pitt into Labor Day slot

TALLAHASSEE — For the first time since hosting rival Miami in its 2009 season opener, Florida State will participating in another nationally-televised Labor Day game this September when it travels to Pittsburgh.

The Sept. 2 contest replaces a previously scheduled Aug. 31 game with Wofford. Instead of being forced into facing the Terriers, the Seminoles will meet Pitt at Heinz Field in the Panthers' first game as members of the ACC.

Pitt is leaving the Big East Conference this summer, and will join the ACC with Syracuse. The Sept. 2 game will be televised by ESPN and is expected to be the conference's first of the year.

As a result of Wofford falling off the schedule, FSU has added another non-conference opponent to take its place at a later point. The Seminoles are staying hush, for now, on who that team will be. They do know that they should have a bye the week after the opener.

FSU, like other conference teams, is expecting the ACC to release its full season schedule Monday.

After last year's scheduling snafu with West Virginia, the Seminoles ended up learning an important lesson. When it came to making the Labor Day opener with Pitt come to fruition, Spetman and his staff requested the ACC and ESPN work specifically with Wofford to make the switch.

Thirteen months ago, FSU was on its own as it had to replace West Virginia for a game scheduled for last September. The Seminoles talked to more than 70 schools before adding Savannah State.

FSU ended up winning the weather-altered, mid-September game 55-0. The game was ended in the middle of the third quarter.

Due to the ACC's efforts, Spetman said FSU will not have to pay Wofford the $475,000 cancellation fee that was outlined in the original game contract. FSU and Wofford agreed to play one another in July 2011. In a separate fee, the Seminoles were going to pay the Terriers $475,000 for the appearance.

A team with a spread option scheme, Wofford was first put on FSU's schedule as the Seminoles anticipated seeing cross-divisional foe and fellow option-based team Georgia Tech come back into its rotation. Before the additions of Pitt and Syracuse, the Seminoles and Yellow Jackets were expecting to play in 2013 and 2014. That no longer is the case.

Last December, the Seminoles beat the Yellow Jackets in the ACC championship, 21-15.

Pitt needed help getting Villanova off its Week 1 schedule. After a little manuevering, the Panthers were able to do that, and the Wildcats were able to add a Football Bowl Subdivision team in their place, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reported.